Sleeve valve with sync cam

ABSTRACT

A method of controlling the flow of a fluid in a pipe system includes controlling a sleeve valve in the pipe system, the sleeve valve includes a valve body having an inner surface and an outer surface defining an inlet, an outlet, and a body cavity between the inlet and the outlet, a sleeve disposed at least partially within the body cavity, the sleeve including at least one opening fluidly connecting the inlet to the outlet, a gate proximate to the sleeve, and a drive assembly including a pair of drive lines, each drive line including a drive shaft, a first drive line of the pair of drive lines including a sync cam on the first drive line movably positioned between the front stop and the back stop, and moving the gate to uncover the at least one opening to allow fluid to flow from the inlet to the outlet.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.14/577,731, filed Dec. 19, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S.application No. 13/741,326, filed Jan. 14, 2013, which issued into U.S.Pat. No. 8,960,229, on Feb. 24, 2015, which is hereby specificallyincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to valves. More specifically, this disclosurerelates to sleeve valves.

BACKGROUND

Valve elements are used to regulate or control the flow of material byopening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. One typeof valve is a sleeve valve, which can be used in a number ofapplications. Some sleeve valves contain one or more perforations on asleeve that allow for material to flow through the valve.

SUMMARY

Disclosed is a method of controlling the flow of fluid in a pipe systemincluding controlling a sleeve valve in the pipe system, the sleevevalve including a valve body having an inner surface and an outersurface, the inner surface and the outer surface defining an inlet, anoutlet, and a body cavity between the inlet and the outlet; a sleevedisposed at least partially within the body cavity, the sleeve includingat least one opening fluidly connecting the inlet to the outlet; a gateproximate to the sleeve, the gate including a front stop and a backstop; and a drive assembly including a pair of drive lines, each driveline including a drive shaft, a first drive line of the pair of drivelines including a sync cam on the drive shaft of the first drive line,the sync cam of first drive line movably positioned between the frontstop and the back stop, a first gap defined between the front stop andthe sync cam, a second gap defined between the back stop and the synccam; moving the sync cam to a front stop position, wherein the frontstop position reduces the first gap; and moving the gate to uncover theat least one opening to allow fluid to flow from the inlet to theoutlet.

Also disclosed is a method of controlling the flow of fluid in a pipesystem including controlling a sleeve valve in the pipe system, thesleeve valve including a valve body having an inner surface and an outersurface, the inner surface and the outer surface defining an inlet, anoutlet, and a body cavity between the inlet and the outlet; a sleevedisposed at least partially within the body cavity, the sleeve includingat least one opening fluidly connecting the inlet to the outlet; a gateproximate to the sleeve, the gate including a front stop and a backstop; and a drive assembly including a pair of drive lines, each driveline including a drive shaft, a first drive line of the pair of drivelines including a sync cam on the drive shaft of the first drive line,the sync cam of first drive line movably positioned between the frontstop and the back stop, a first gap defined between the front stop andthe sync cam, a second gap defined between the back stop and the synccam; moving the sync cam to a back stop position, wherein the back stopposition reduces the second gap; and moving the gate to cover at leastone opening to reduce fluid from flowing from the inlet to the outlet.

Various implementations described in the present disclosure may includeadditional systems, methods, features, and advantages, which may notnecessarily be expressly disclosed herein but will be apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following detaileddescription and accompanying drawings. It is intended that all suchsystems, methods, features, and advantages be included within thepresent disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and components of the following figures are illustrated toemphasize the general principles of the present disclosure.Corresponding features and components throughout the figures may bedesignated by matching reference characters for the sake of consistencyand clarity.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sleeve valve in accord with oneembodiment of the current disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from another end of the sleeve valve ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the sleeve valve of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a sync cam of the sleeve valve of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the sync cam of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the sync cam of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a gate of the sleeve valve of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the gate of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view in isolation of a front stop and a backstop of the sleeve valve of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a side view of a front direction load balancing screw of thesync cam of FIG. 4. In the current embodiment the front direction loadbalancing screw is identical to a backward direction load balancingscrew.

FIG. 11 is a top view of the front direction load balancing screw ofFIG. 10. In the current embodiment the front direction load balancingscrew is identical to the backward direction load balancing screw.

FIG. 12 is a side view of a pair of drive lines of a drive assembly andan alternative embodiment of a gate surrounding a sleeve of the sleevevalve of FIG. 1, wherein the view of a drive shaft of each drive linesis abridged, showing only a portion of the drive shaft.

FIG. 13 is a top view of the gate and one of the the drive lines of FIG.12.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional detail view of the drive line, the gate,the sleeve, and a body cavity portion of the valve body of FIG. 1.

FIG. 15 is a side view of the drive line including the drive shaft, thesync cam, and an actuator located on an exterior of the sleeve valve,wherein the view of the drive shaft is abridged, showing only the frontportion and the back portion of the drive shaft.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the interior of the body cavityportion of the valve body of FIG. 1 including the drive line, gate, andsleeve valve.

FIGS. 17A and 17B are perspective views of FIG. 4 and show the sync camin a first position and a second position on the drive shaft,respectively.

FIGS. 18A, 18B, 18C, 18D, and 18E show a side view of the drive assemblyand gate of FIG. 12 and show a method for syncing the sleeve valve.

FIGS. 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, and 19E show a side view of the drive assemblyand gate of FIG. 12 and show a method for controlling the flow of fluidthrough the sleeve valve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Disclosed is a sleeve valve and associated methods, systems, devices,and various apparatus. The sleeve valve includes a drive assembly havingat least one drive line including a sync cam and a drive shaft. It wouldbe understood by one of skill in the art that the disclosed sleeve valveis described in but a few exemplary embodiments among many. Noparticular terminology or description should be considered limiting onthe disclosure or the scope of any claims issuing therefrom.

One embodiment of a sleeve valve 100 is disclosed and described in FIGS.1-2. In FIG. 1 the sleeve valve 100 includes a valve body 110 that hasan inner surface 117 (shown in FIG. 3) and an outer surface 119. Theinner surface 117 and the outer surface 119, as illustrated in thecurrent embodiment, define an inlet portion 120, an outlet portion 130,and a body cavity portion 140. In the current embodiment, the inletportion 120 defines an inlet 125 and is conical-shaped and welded to thebody cavity portion 140, although other joining interfaces arecontemplated by this disclosure and should be considered included. Theoutlet portion 130 defines an outlet 135. The outlet portion 130 and thebody cavity portion 140, in the current embodiment, are both of anapproximately cylindrical shape. The shape of the inlet portion 120, theoutlet portion 130, and the body cavity portion 140 are not limiting andmay be other shapes. The inlet portion 120, the outlet portion 130, andthe body cavity portion 140 in the current embodiment are made of weldedfabricated carbon steel plates, although one of skill in the art wouldrecognize that other materials could be used and such a disclosure isnot limiting. The inlet portion 120, the outlet portion 130, and thebody cavity portion 140 may also include flanged ends, and as seen inthe current embodiment in FIG. 1, the inlet portion 120 includes oneflanged end 124 on the opposite end of that which is connected to thebody cavity portion 140. Also, in the current embodiment, both ends ofthe outlet portion 130 include flanged ends 132 and 134, and the end ofthe body cavity portion 140 that faces the outlet portion 130 includes aflanged end 142.

The current embodiment includes fastening elements 141 in the form of aplurality of nuts and bolts coupling the flanged end 142 of the bodycavity portion 140 to the flanged end 134 of the outlet portion 130 andthereby joining the body cavity portion 140 to the outlet portion 130.However, various types of fasteners, such as nails, screws, welding, orany other type of fastener may be used, and the disclosure of nuts andbolts is not limiting upon the fastener that must be used. Additionally,as illustrated in FIG. 1, the sleeve valve 100 includes a drive assembly170 including an actuator motor 175 and drive lines (330 and 340 in FIG.3). Further, the current embodiment of the sleeve valve 100 includesinspection ports 190 a and 190 b that are circular and defined in thebody cavity portion 140 and include inspection lids 195 a,b fastened tothe outer surface 119 of the valve body 110 via a plurality of nuts andbolts. However, various types of fasteners, such as nails, screws, orany other type of fastener may be used, and the disclosure of nuts andbolts is not limiting upon the fastener that must be used. The shape ofthe inspection ports 190 a and 190 b is not limiting, and other shapessuch as oval and square may be used. The inspection ports 190 a and 190b allow access to the interior of the body cavity portion 140. In thecurrent embodiment, inspection ports 190 a,b include hinges 191 a,b andhandles 192 a,b (192 b not shown).

The current embodiment of the sleeve valve 100 also includes an accessport 194 that is circular and defined on the outer surface 119 of thevalve body 110. The access port 194 includes an access lid 196 fastenedto the outer surface 119 of the valve body 110 via a plurality of nutsand bolts. However, various types of fasteners, such as nails, screws,or any other type of fastener may be used, and the disclosure of nutsand bolts is not limiting upon the fastener that must be used. Moreover,the shape of the access port 194 is not limiting and other shapes suchas oval and square may be used. In the current embodiment, the bodycavity portion 140 and the outlet portion 130 include pressure gauges185 a and 185 b that are located on the outer surface 119, but these arenot required for all embodiments.

FIG. 2 displays a perspective view of the sleeve valve 100 where theoutlet portion 130 is in the foreground of the illustration. As can beseen in the current embodiment, the actuator motor 175 is mounted to theouter surface 119 of the flanged end 134 of the outlet portion 130,although the actuator motor 175 may be mounted to any portion of thesleeve valve 100. The actuator motor 175 is connected to the drive lines(330 and 340 in FIG. 3) by a splitter 274, or three-way gear, and twoactuator drive shafts 276 a and 276 b extending from the splitter 274 totwo separate machine screw actuators 278 a and 278 b, where actuatordrive shaft 276 a is attached to machine screw actuator 278 a andactuator drive shaft 276 b is attached to machine screw actuator 278 b.Splitter 274 translates rotational movement from the actuator motor 175to the actuator drive shafts 276 a,b, which translate rotationalmovement to each machine screw actuator 278 a,b, respectively. Machinescrew actuator 278 a is part of drive line 330 and machine screwactuator 278 b is part of drive line 340. In the current embodiment, themachine screw actuators 278 a and 278 b are Duff-Norton Machine ScrewActuators, model number DM-9006; however, one of skill in the art wouldrecognize that such a disclosure is not limiting and other types ofmachines or operations that enable the drive shaft 332 and/or 342(described with reference to FIG. 3) to operate may be used. The driveassembly 170 can be operated in many different ways, includingautomatically from a remote location, via local controls on the actuatormotor 175 itself, or via a clutch lever, and the methods of operation ofthe drive assembly 170 are not intended to be limiting. The actuatormotor 175 is an electric motor, but may also be a manual handwheel inalternative embodiments. Additionally, in the current embodiment,actuator spacers 279 a,b,c,d (279 d not shown) mount machine screwactuator 278 a to the outlet portion 130 and actuator spacers 279e,f,g,h (279 h not shown) mount machine screw actuator 278 b to theoutlet portion 130, but the machine screw actuators 278 a,b may bemounted to the outlet portion 130 by any other types or amount offasteners.

FIG. 3 provides a cross-sectional view of the sleeve valve 100. In thecurrent embodiment, material flows from the inlet portion 120 through abody cavity defined within the body cavity portion 140 to the outletportion 130. Inspection port 190 a and access port 194 are also shown inthe current embodiment. In the current embodiment, a sleeve 310 islocated within the body cavity portion 140 and is secured at a sleeveflanged end 312 to the outlet portion 130 by a plurality of nuts andbolts. The sleeve 310, in the current embodiment, is cylindricallyshaped with a dome-shaped sleeve end 311 that prevents material fromentering the sleeve 310 from sleeve end 311. The sleeve flanged end 312is open to allow material to flow freely from the sleeve 310 to theoutlet portion 130 once the material enters the interior of the sleeve.The shapes of sleeve end 311 and sleeve flanged end 312 are not limitingand other shapes may be used. Additionally, the technique of securingsleeve flanged end 312 of sleeve 310 to the outlet portion 130 may beachieved using any known technique in the art. The sleeve 310 in thecurrent embodiment is made of a welded fabricated stainless steel plate,although one of skill in the art would recognize that other materialscould be used and such a disclosure is not limiting.

In the current embodiment, sleeve 310 includes perforated openings 315,which allow material to flow from the body cavity portion 140 to theinterior of the sleeve 310. Although multiple perforated openings 315are shown in the current embodiment, only one perforated opening may beincluded, and any number of perforated openings may be included invarious embodiments. In the current embodiment, perforated openings 315refer to all openings in the sleeve 310. The elements to which reference315 points are exemplary only and should not be considered limiting onthe disclosure. Proximate to the sleeve 310, in the current embodiment,is a gate 320, which is moveable over a portion of the sleeve 310including at least one of the perforated openings 315. When the gate320, in the current embodiment, is positioned over at least one of theperforated openings 315, the gate 320 prevents material from flowinginto or out of the interior of the sleeve 310 through the at least oneperforated opening 315 that the gate 320 is positioned over. However,neither the material nor shape of the gate 320 is limiting, and variousmaterials or shapes may be used in various embodiments. The gate 320 inthe current embodiment is made of a welded fabricated stainless steelplate, although one of skill in the art would recognize that othermaterials could be used and such a disclosure is not limiting. As can beseen in FIG. 3, the current embodiment includes drive line 330, whichoperates to move the gate 320 axially over the sleeve 310. In thecurrent embodiment, the drive line 330 includes a drive shaft 332, whichis a cylindrical rod that rotates and includes at least a threadedportion.

The drive shaft 332 connects to the machine screw actuator 278 a in thecurrent embodiment. The drive shaft 332 in the current embodiment ismade of stainless steel, although one of skill in the art wouldrecognize that other materials could be used and such a disclosure isnot limiting. The gate 320 will be enabled to move axially along thesleeve 310 within the portion of the drive shaft 332 that is threaded.Moreover, in the current embodiment, the drive line 330 includes a synccam 334, which is moveably positioned around the drive shaft 332.Additionally, when the drive shaft 332 rotates the sync cam 334 may moveaxially between a front stop 326 in the form of a front stop plate and aback stop 328 in the form of a back stop plate, though other front stopsand back stops may be used in other embodiments. The sync cam 334 in thecurrent embodiment is made of a stainless steel plate, although one ofskill in the art would recognize that other materials could be used andsuch a disclosure is not limiting.

In addition, the sync cam 334 in the current embodiment includes twoforward direction load balancing screws 335 a and 335 b (335 b shown inFIGS. 4-6). Although the current embodiment includes two forwarddirection load balancing screws 335 a and 335 b, other embodiments mayinclude any number of forward direction load balancing mechanisms, whichcan be nuts and bolts, screws, other types of fasteners, or any otherload balancing mechanism. Additionally, the drive line 330 may includemore than one sync cam 334 and drive shaft 332. In the currentembodiment, the front stop 326 and the back stop 328 are connected toand formed on the gate 320, but it is not a requirement that the frontstop 326 and the back stop 328 be connected to or formed on the gate320.

The front stop 326 and the back stop 328 can be plates or any othermechanism that hinders the sync cam 334 from moving past the front stop326 or the back stop 328. The thickness of the sync cam 334 may be lessthan the distance between the front stop 326 and the back stop 328.Additionally, in the current embodiment, the back stop 328 includes twobackward direction load balancing screws 368 a,b (368 a shown in FIGS.7-8); however, this configuration is not meant to be limiting in termsof the type of mechanism used for backward direction load balancing andthe number of backward direction load balancing mechanisms. The backstop 328 includes at least one backward direction load balancingmechanism, which can be achieved with nuts and bolts, screws, othertypes of fasteners, or any other load balancing mechanism which is knownin the art.

The components of the drive line 330, in the current embodiment, are notmeant to be limiting. Additional components may be added to the driveline 330 and the components in combination described above are not allrequired. In the current embodiment, an additional drive line 340 isprovided, although it is not required, and is located approximately 180degrees from drive line 330, though the drive line 340 may be locatedrelative to the drive line 330 in any position in other embodiments.Drive line 340, in the current embodiment, is configured in the same waydrive line 330 is configured. The drive line 340 includes a drive shaft342, which is configured in the same way as drive shaft 332. The driveshaft 342 connects to the machine screw actuator 278 b in the currentembodiment. The drive line 340 also includes a sync cam 344, which isconfigured in the same way as sync cam 334, and the drive line 340 mayinclude more than one sync cam 344 and drive shaft 342. Also, the synccam 344 in the current embodiment includes two forward direction loadbalancing screws 345 a,b (345 a shown in FIG. 12). Although the currentembodiment includes two forward direction load balancing screws 345 a,b,that is not meant to be limiting. The sync cam 344 includes at least oneforward direction load balancing mechanism, which can be achieved withnuts and bolts, screws, other types of fasteners, or any other loadbalancing mechanism.

In the current embodiment, a front stop 346 and a back stop 348 areconnected to and formed on the gate 320, but it is not a requirement inall embodiments that the front stop 346 and the back stop 348 beconnected to or formed on the gate 320. The front stop 346 and the backstop 348 can be plates or any other mechanism that hinders the sync cam344 from moving past the front stop 346 or the back stop 348.Additionally, in the current embodiment, the back stop 348 includes twobackward direction load balancing screws 378 a,b (378 b shown in FIG.12); however, this configuration is not meant to be limiting in terms ofthe type of mechanism used for backward direction load balancing and thenumber of backward direction load balancing mechanisms. The back stop348 includes at least one backward direction load balancing mechanism,which can be achieved with nuts and bolts, screws, other types offasteners, or any other load balancing mechanism which is known in theart. Although in the current embodiment the drive line 340 is configuredin the same way and includes all of the same components as drive line330, the embodiment is not meant to be limiting. Drive line 340 may alsoinclude additional components, and the components in combinationdescribed above are not all required. Moreover, additional drive linesmay be implemented with the sleeve valve 100.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a sync cam 334 of the sleeve valve 100. In thecurrent embodiment the sync cam 344 includes the same features as synccam 334, although such a configuration is not required. The sync cam334, in the current embodiment, is triangularly shaped with sides 425,435, and 445 that connect the rounded ends 420, 430, and 440, althoughthe shape of the sync cam 334 is not critical. In the currentembodiment, the sync cam 334 includes two forward direction loadbalancing screws 335 a and 335 b. Sync cam 334, in the currentembodiment, also defines a circular drive shaft bore 416 through theupper center portion of the sync cam 334, although the position andshape of the bore is not critical. The drive shaft bore 416 is threadedin the current embodiment. Additionally, the drive shaft bore 416 of thesync cam 334, in the current embodiment, includes threads 418 along thedrive shaft bore 416, although the threads 418 are not critical.

FIG. 5 is a top view of sync cam 334. In the current embodiment the synccam 344 is configured the same way as sync cam 334, although such aconfiguration is not required. In the current embodiment, the sync cam334 is triangular shaped with rounded edges, although the shape of thesync cam 334 is not critical. In the current embodiment, the sync cam334 includes two lobes 520 a and 520 b, which are located on each sideof the middle section 530. Also, each lobe 520 a and 520 b extends fromthe sync cam 334 a distance longer than a distance between the driveshaft 332 and a gate surface 721 (shown in FIG. 7) of the gate 320. Inthe current embodiment, the middle section 530 includes side edges 531 aand 531 b, which extend along the lobes 520 a and 520 b as well. Thedistance between side edges 531 a and 531 b, or in essence the thicknessof the sync cam 334, is less than the distance between the front stop326 and the back stop 328 of the drive line 330 in the currentembodiment. Sync cam 334, in the current embodiment, also includes twoforward direction load balancing screws 335 a and 335 b, extendingthrough each lobe 520 a and 520 b; however, this configuration is notmeant to be limiting in terms of the type of mechanism used for forwarddirection load balancing and the number of forward direction loadbalancing mechanisms.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of sync cam 334 taken from line 6-6 inFIG. 5. In the current embodiment the sync cam 344 is configured thesame way as sync cam 334, although such a configuration is notnecessary. In the current embodiment, the sync cam 334 includes twoforward load balancing holes 622 and 642, which are threaded in thecurrent embodiment. Although the current embodiment includes two forwarddirection load balancing holes 622 and 642, such a configuration is notmeant to be limiting. Depending on whether or not the type of forwarddirection load balancing mechanism requires a hole or holes, forwarddirection load balancing holes 622 and 642 might or might not benecessary; in some embodiments, more forward direction load balancingholes may be required. The length of the forward direction loadbalancing screws 335 a and 335 b is about the same as the length of theforward direction load balancing holes 622 and 642. The length of theforward direction load balancing screws 335 a and 335 b is the distancefrom ends 624 and 644 to ends 626 and 646, respectively; however, thislength is not critical. The length of the forward direction loadbalancing holes 622 and 642 is the distance from ends 621 and 623(closest portion of the hole to rounded end 430) to ends 641 and 643,respectively.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of gate 320 for sleeve valve 100. Gate 320includes gate surface 721, which in the current embodiment is made of awelded fabricated stainless steel plate. As shown and described withreference to FIG. 3,when the gate 320 is positioned over at least one ofthe perforated openings 315, the material used for gate 320 preventsfluid material from flowing into or out of the interior of the sleeve310 through the at least one perforated opening 315 over which the gate320 is positioned. The shape of gate 320 enables the gate 320 to bemoveable over a portion of the sleeve 310, as seen in FIG. 3, includingat least one of the perforated openings 315 (also seen in FIG. 3). Thedistance between the front stop 326 and the back stop 328 is greaterthan the thickness of the sync cam 334. Additionally, the front stop 326and the back stop 328 each include a drive shaft hole 727 and 729,respectively. The drive shaft holes 727 and 729 provide a through-holefor the drive shaft 332 to fit through (seen in FIG. 3). Further, one ormore additional drive shafts, such as drive shaft 342, may be included(seen in FIG. 3). If drive shaft 342 is included, then the front stop346 and back stop 348 would also include drive shaft holes. Also, in thecurrent embodiment, located on the gate surface 721 of the gate 320,between the front stop 326 and the back stop 328, is an adjustment plate725, which provides a raised surface which the two forward directionload balancing screws 335 a and 335 b may contact when they are screweddown. There also may be an adjustment plate 1245 (shown in FIG. 12)between the front stop 346 and back stop 348. FIG. 8 is a top view ofgate 320, and the elements are described with reference to FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the front stop 326 and the back stop328. In some embodiments, the front stop 346 and the back stop 348 areincluded and function the same way as previously disclosed in FIG. 3. Inthe current embodiment, the front stop 326 and the back stop 328 aresix-sided and made of solid material. Front stop 326 includes flat edgesat top right side 911, right side 912, left side 914, and top left side915. Additionally, the front stop 326 includes a rounded top side 916and a rounded bottom side 913 that approximates the curvature of thegate surface 721. Back stop 328 includes flat edges top right side 921,right side 922, left side 924, and top left side 925. Additionally, theback stop 328 includes a rounded edge top side 926 and a rounded bottomside 923 that approximates the curvature of the gate surface 721.Although, in the current embodiment, the front stop 326 and the backstop 328 each include six sides that result in the shapes seen in FIG.9, such a disclosure is not meant to be limiting. Other shapes such as asquare, rectangle, triangle, and polygon, among others, may be used forthe front stop 326 and the back stop 328. Moreover, the front stop 326and the back stop 328 need not be of the same shape. Also, in thecurrent embodiment, the front stop 326 and the back stop 328 includedrive shaft holes 727 and 729, respectively, as described in thedescription of FIG. 7.

FIGS. 10-11 show load balancing screw 1010. The load balancing screw1010 can be the forward direction load balancing screws 335 a and 335 b,as seen in FIG. 3, and/or the backward direction load balancing screws368 a and 368 b, as seen in FIG. 9. In the current embodiment, the loadbalancing screw 1010 include a top end 1012 that connects to the headportion of the load balancing screws 1010, a threaded main portion 1011,and a bottom end 1014, which is a flat, non-threaded portion. However,the bottom end 1014, in the current embodiment, may be threaded or maybe configured to end as a sharp point, and the current disclosure is notmeant to be limiting. The load balancing screw 1010, in the currentembodiment, also includes a self-locking mechanism 1030. Theself-locking mechanism 1030 includes a piece of plastic material that ispacked inside a bore through the side of the load balancing screw 1010.The self-locking mechanism 1030 in the current embodiment is not meantto be limiting, and other forms of self-locking may be used or a loadbalancing screw 1010 without a self-locking mechanism 1030 may be usedas well.

As can be seen in the current embodiment, the top 1012 of load balancingscrew 1010 is configured with a hexagonal head. However, the currentembodiment is not meant to be limiting and the top 1012 can beconfigured to include other types of heads, such as a slot head, across-head, a torx head, or any other types of head. The top 1012 in thecurrent embodiment is dome shaped, however, other shapes may be used forthe top 1012, such as a low disc with a chamfered outer edge,cylindrical with a rounded top, truss shaped, flat, or any other shape.

FIG. 12 is a side view of the sleeve 310, gate 320, and drive lines 330and 340. In the current embodiment as shown in FIG. 12, located on thegate 320, between the front stop 326 and the back stop 328, is theadjustment plate 725. Moreover, in the current embodiment, located onthe gate 320, between the front stop 346 and the back stop 348, is theadjustment plate 1245, which provides a raised surface which the twoforward direction load balancing screws 345 a,b may contact when theyare screwed down. Adjustment plate 725 and adjustment plate 1245 are notrequired and the two forward direction load balancing screws 335 a,b andthe two forward direction load balancing screws 345 a,b may contact thegate surface 721 in other embodiments. Although in the currentembodiment the drive line 340 is configured in the same way and includesall of the same components as drive line 330, the embodiment is notmeant to be limiting. Drive line 340 may also include or differentadditional components, and the components in combination described aboveare not all required.

Also shown in FIG. 12 are a pair of front stop feet 1252 a,b on thefront stop 326, a pair of back stop feet 1254 a,b on the back stop 328,a pair of front stop feet 1256 a,b on the front stop 346, and a pair ofback stop feet 1258 a,b on the back stop 348. The front stop feet 1252a,b, 1256 a,b provide support to the front stops 326,346, and the backstop feet 1254 a,b, 1258 a,b provide support to the back stops 328,348.However, front stop feet 1252 a,b, 1256 a,b and back stop feet 1254 a,b,1258 a,b are not required.

FIG. 13 is a top view of the sleeve 310, the gate 320, and the driveline 330 from FIG. 12. The configuration of the drive line 340 issubstantially the same as the configuration of drive line 330 as shownin the current embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional detail view of the drive line 330 locatedproximate to the gate 320 and inside of the body cavity portion 140,seen in FIG. 1. The drive line 340 is configured substantially the sameas drive line 330 in the current embodiment. In the current embodiment,the gate 320 is located proximate to the sleeve 310, and as seen in FIG.14, there is nearly no space between gate 320 and sleeve 310, althoughthere may be space in various embodiments. Further, FIG. 14 shows thatthe drive shaft 332 does not contact the front stop 326 and the backstop 328 in the current embodiment, but rather extends through the driveshaft holes 727, 729. The threads of the drive shaft 332 engage thethreads 418 of the drive shaft bore 416 of the sync cam 334 to allowmovement of the sync cam 334 along the drive shaft 332, though the driveshaft 332 may engage the sync cam 334 in any manner in other embodimentsto allow movement of the sync cam 334 along the drive shaft 332. Becausethe sync cam 334 engages the drive shaft 332, the sync cam 334 isthereby moveably positioned relative to the drive shaft 332.

As seen in FIG. 15, the drive line 330 includes the sync cam 334 and thedrive shaft 332. The sync cam 334 is moveably positioned relative to thedrive shaft 332. Drive line 340 is configured the same way as the driveline 330 in the current embodiment. Additionally, the drive shaft 332 isthreaded over the entire area in which the sync cam 334 willlongitudinally move along the drive shaft 332, which is cylindrical inthe current embodiment. As can be seen in FIG. 15, the drive shaft 332extends through a bore 1570, which itself extends through the flangedend 134 of the outlet portion 130 to be connected to the machine screwactuator 278 a, which is mounted on the flanged end 134 of the outletportion 130. The drive shaft 332 is connected to the machine screwactuator 278 a by a drive shaft flange 1532 coupled to an actuatorflange 1534 with a plurality of drive shaft flange bolts 1535, thoughthe drive shaft 332 may be connected to the machine screw actuator 278 aby any method in other embodiments. In the current embodiment, to sealthe remainder of the bore 1570 surrounding the drive shaft 332, the bore1570 includes a bearing 1572, a shaft packing seal 1574, a retainerplate 1576, and a plurality of bolts 1578 to hold the retainer plate1576 in place.

Although it appears in the figure that there are two bearings, two shaftpacking seals, and two retainer plates, there is actually only one ofeach because each of these are circular and extend entirely around thedrive shaft 332 to seal the bore 1570, but this is not required. In thecurrent embodiment, the bearing 1572 is made of bronze material, theshaft packing seal 1574 is made of rubber, and the retainer plate 1576and the bolts 1578 are made of metal material. The material used andarrangement for sealing the bore 1570 in the disclosure and the currentembodiment is not meant to be limiting, and one skilled in the art wouldknow of other ways to seal the bore 1570. As can be seen in the currentembodiment, the drive shaft 332 is coupled to the machine screw actuator278 a, which is coupled to the actuator motor 175 (as seen in FIG. 2).In the current embodiment, the machine screw actuator 278 a enables thedrive shaft 332 to rotate, translating rotational movement from theactuator motor 175 to the drive shaft 332. The machine screw actuator278 a, in the current embodiment, includes four actuator spacers 279a,b,c,d, which are coupled to the flanged end 134 of the outlet portion130 and allow the machine screw actuator 278 a to be positioned at adistance from the flanged end 134. Although the present disclosureincludes a machine screw actuator 278 a, such disclosure is not meant tobe limiting and one of skill in the art would recognize other ways toenable to drive shaft 332 to rotate. Additionally, the actuator spacers279 a,b,c,d of the present disclosure are not meant to be limiting, andone of skill in the art would recognize that more or fewer actuatorspacers could be used. Moreover, the machine screw actuator 278 a couldbe separate from the drive shaft 332 or located in a different positionrelative to the sleeve valve 100. More than one of these configurationsin FIG. 15 may be used for the sleeve valve 100. Additionally, in thecurrent embodiment, drive line 340 also includes the same configurationas drive line 330 and the same actuator connection between the driveshaft 342 and the machine screw actuator 278 b as drive line 330 does tomachine screw actuator 278 a. However, the configuration and actuatorarrangement of drive line 340 is not required to be the same as driveline 330 and may be different in various embodiments. Moreover, asdescribed above in FIG. 3, drive line 340 is included in the currentembodiment, but it is not required.

As seen in FIG. 16, a cross-sectional detail view of the interior of thebody cavity portion 140 including the drive line 330, gate 320, andsleeve 310, is provided. In the current embodiment, the flanged end 134of the outlet portion 130 is coupled to flanged end 142 of the bodycavity portion 140.

FIGS. 17A and 17B, show the adjustment stop plate 725, the sync cam 334,and the drive shaft 332 in isolation. In the current embodiment, theforward direction load balancing screws 335 a and 335 b of the sync cam334 (described with respect to FIG. 4) are initially balanced andcontacting the adjustment plate 725 equally, as shown in FIG. 17A.Additionally, in the current embodiment, the forward direction loadbalancing screws 345 a and 345 b of the sync cam 344 are initiallycontacting the adjustment plate 1245. In other embodiments, the forwarddirection load balancing screws 335 a,b and 345 a,b may contact the gatesurface 721. In the current embodiment, when the forward direction loadbalancing screws 335 a,b are in contact with the adjustment stop plate725 and the drive shaft 332 is thereafter turned, the sync cam 334 willmove linearly with respect to the drive shaft 332 toward either thefront stop 326 or the back stop 328, depending on the direction thedrive shafts 332 and 342 rotate. This movement takes place because theforward direction load balancing screws 335 a,b, when in contact withthe adjustment stop plate 725, prevent the sync cam 334 from rotatingwith the drive shaft 332, forcing the sync cam 334 to move linearly withrespect to the drive shaft 332 due to the interaction of the threads ofthe drive shaft 332 with the threads 418 of the drive shaft bore 416. Inthe current embodiment, the sync cam 344 moves linearly with respect tothe drive shaft 342 in a similar manner.

As will be described in FIG. 18, during syncing of the currentembodiment, when the sync cams 334 and 344 are being synced to the frontstops 326 and 346, respectively, one of the sync cams 334 or 344 willcontact its respective front stop 326 or 346 first. In the currentembodiment, in order to have the other sync cam 334 or 344 contact itsrespective front stop 326 or 346 simultaneously, the forward directionload balancing screws 335 a and 335 b (for sync cam 334) or 345 a and345 b (for sync cam 344), can be adjusted to enable the non-contactingsync cam 334 or 344 to move linearly along its respective threaded driveshaft 332 or 342. As can be seen in FIG. 17B, in the current embodiment,by turning the forward direction load balancing screw 335 a,b, the synccam 334 rotates about the drive shaft 332 and thereby moves linearlyalong the drive shaft 332 towards or away from the front stop 326. Byscrewing forward direction load balancing screw 335 a downward withinlobe 520 a and screwing forward direction load balancing screw 335 bupward within lobe 520 b, sync cam 334 is rotated clockwise in adirection 1780 and thereby moves in a direction 1750 along the driveshaft 332, as shown in FIG. 17B. Screwing forward direction loadbalancing screw 335 a upward within lobe 520 a and screwing forwarddirection load balancing screw 335 b downward within lobe 520 b rotatessync cam 334 counter-clockwise and thereby moves the sync cam 334 in adirection opposite to direction 1750 along the drive shaft 332. In someembodiments, one forward direction load balancing screw 335 a,b must bescrewed upward before the other forward direction load balancing screw335 b,a can be screwed downward so that the sync cam 334 can be rotated.In these embodiments, once the sync cam 334 is rotated to the correctposition, both forward direction load balancing screws 335 a,b must bescrewed downward sufficiently to contact the adjustment stop plate 725to prevent further rotation of the sync cam 334. In the currentembodiment, the sync cam 344 is moved linearly with respect to the driveshaft 342 in a similar manner. The disclosure described above is notmeant to be limiting, and one of skill in the art would recognize thatthere are other ways such tasks may be performed.

FIGS. 18A, 18B, 18C, 18D, and 18E show a syncing process for the sleevevalve 100. Syncing may be used to ensure that each drive line 330 and340 is applying opening or closing force to the gate 320 at the sametime and with the same degree of force, which will prolong the longevityof each drive line 330 and 340 and the actuator motor 175 and willensure smooth opening and closing of the gate 320. In the currentembodiment, syncing ensures that each drive line 330 and 340 is workingthe same amount by accounting for the machine tolerances in each of thedrive lines 330 and 340, the front stops 326 and 346, the back stops 328and 348, and the splitter 274. Syncing may occur during installation,but it can also be achieved, via the inspection ports 190 a and 190 b,later when the sleeve valve 100 is assembled. As seen in FIG. 18A, whensyncing begins the sync cams 334 and 344 may be in a neutral position,meaning the forward direction load balancing screws 335 a,b, 345 a,b areall equally screwed down to contact the adjustment plates 725,1245,respectively and the sync cams 334 and 344 are not touching the frontstops 326,346, respectively or the back stops 328,348, respectively.However, the sync cams 334 or 344 are not required to begin in a neutralposition.

In the current embodiment, because the drive lines 330,340 are bothconnected to a single actuator motor 175, the drive shafts 332,342 turnat approximately equal speeds and the sync cams 334,344 move linearlytogether along the drive shafts 332,342. In order to sync the sync cams334 and 344 in a front stop position so that both sync cams 334,344contact front stops 326,346 simultaneously, as shown in FIG. 18C, thesync cams 334 and 344 are moved linearly together towards respectivefront stops 326,346 so that at least one of the sync cams 334,344contact a front stop 326 or 346. As shown in FIG. 18B, the sync cams334,344 may not contact the front stops 326,346 simultaneously prior tosyncing in the front stop position. Once one of the sync cams 334,344contacts a front stop 326 or 346, the non-contacting sync cam 334 or 344is moved linearly along its respective threaded drive shaft 332 or 342so that both sync cams 334,344 contact the front stops 326,346, as canbe seen in FIG. 18C. At this point, in FIG. 18C, the sync cams 334 and344 are synced in the front stop position.

As seen in FIG. 18D of the current embodiment, to sync each sync cam 334and 344 in the back stop position the sync cams 334,344 are movedlinearly towards the back stops 328,348 until at least one of the synccams 334 and 344 contact its respective back stop 328 or 348. Thebackward direction load balancing screws (368 a and 368 b or 378 a and378 b) of the non-contacting back stop 328 or 348 are then turned tomove the backward direction load balancing screws 368 a,b or 378 a,btowards the non-contacting sync cam 334 or 344 and into contact with thenon-contacting sync cam 334 or 344. The non-contacting sync cam 334 or344 thereby effectively contacts its respective back stop 328 or 348 bycontacting the backward direction load balancing screws 368 a,b or 378a,b with the non-contacting sync cam 334 or 344, as shown in FIG. 18E.In other embodiments, when the sync cams 334,344 are moved linearlytowards the back stops 328,348, at least one of the sync cams 334 and344 contacting its respective back stop 328 or 348 may include at leastone of the sync cams 334 and 344 contacting at least one backwarddirection load balancing screw 368 a, 368 b, 378 a, or 378 b. In theseembodiments, syncing the sync cams 334,344 in the back stop positionincludes placing each backward direction load balancing screw 368 a,band 378 a,b in contact with the sync cams 334,344.

In the current embodiment, after syncing in the front stop position andsyncing in the back stop position have occurred, syncing is complete.The disclosure described above is not meant to be limiting, and one ofskill in the art would recognize that there are other ways such tasksmay be performed.

FIGS. 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, and 19E show how the gate 320 moves inoperation after syncing has occurred. FIG. 19A shows the sync cams 334and 344 in neutral positions (as described in FIG. 18) and the gate 320in a half open position. Neither the gate 320 nor the sync cams 334 and344 must start in this position, and this position is merely describedfor purposes of example. In FIG. 19B of the current embodiment, thedrive shafts 332,342 have been rotated in such a way that the sync cams334,344 are moved linearly along the drive shafts 332,342, respectively,toward the front stops 326 and 346. If syncing in the front stopposition has already occurred, then the sync cams 334 and 344 shouldcontact their respective front stops 326 and 346 at the same time. Toensure that the sync cams 334,344 do not rotate upon rotation of thedrive shafts 332,342, the forward direction load balancing screws 335a,b and 345 a,b should be screwed down into contact with the adjustmentplates 725,1245 or, in alternative embodiments, the gate surface 721,though rotation the sync cams 334,344 may be prevented in other mannersin other embodiments. As seen in FIG. 19C of the current embodiment,after the sync cams 334 and 344 contact their respective front stops 326and 346 and the drive shafts 332 and 342 continue to rotate in the samedirection, the gate 320 is moved toward the open position (where more orall of the perforations 315 are exposed). In the open position, the gate320 allows fluid to flow from the inlet 125 through the perforations 315to the outlet 135. FIG. 19C shows the gate 320 in its most open positionfor the current embodiment.

In FIG. 19D of the current embodiment, the drive shafts 332 and 342 havebeen rotated in such a way that the sync cams 334 and 344 are movedtoward the back stops 328 and 348. If syncing in the back stop positionhas already occurred, then the sync cams 334 and 344 should contacttheir respective back stops 328 and 348 at the same time (includingeffective contact with the backward direction load balancing screws 368a,b or 378 a,b). As seen in FIG. 19E of the current embodiment, afterthe sync cams 334 and 344 contact their respective back stops 328 and348 (or effectively contact the backward direction load balancing screws368 a and 368 b or 378 a and 378 b) and the drive shafts 332 and 342continue to rotate in the same direction, the gate 320 is moved towardthe closed position (where more or all of the perforations 315 arecovered). In the closed position, the gate 320 restricts fluid flow fromthe inlet 125 through the perforations 315 to the outlet 135. FIG. 19Eshows the gate 320 in its most closed position for the currentembodiment. In these embodiments, space between the sync cams 334,344and the respective front stops 326,346 and back stops 328,348 operatesto allow the sync cams 334,344 to “hammer” the gate 320, thereby budgingthe gate 320 from its resting position. With this arrangement, the gate320 may be more easily moved by the sync cams 334,344 than if it werearranged with little or no space between the sync cams 334,344, thefront stops 326,346, and the back stops 328,348, respectively, becausethe sync cams 334,344 gain momentum and hit the respective front stops326,346 with an inertia that provides additional force than if noinertia was present. This “hammer” effect may also dislodge the gate 320in circumstances where the gate 320 gets stuck on the sleeve 310.

One should note that conditional language, such as, among others, “can,”“could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, orotherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intendedto convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments donot include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, suchconditional language is not generally intended to imply that features,elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more particularembodiments or that one or more particular embodiments necessarilyinclude logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting,whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to beperformed in any particular embodiment.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments are merelypossible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clearunderstanding of the principles of the present disclosure. Any processdescriptions or blocks in flow diagrams should be understood asrepresenting modules, segments, or portions of code which include one ormore executable instructions for implementing specific logical functionsor steps in the process, and alternate implementations are included inwhich functions may not be included or executed at all, may be executedout of order from that shown or discussed, including substantiallyconcurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionalityinvolved, as would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the artof the present disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be madeto the above-described embodiment(s) without departing substantiallyfrom the spirit and principles of the present disclosure. Further, thescope of the present disclosure is intended to cover any and allcombinations and sub-combinations of all elements, features, and aspectsdiscussed above. All such modifications and variations are intended tobe included herein within the scope of the present disclosure, and allpossible claims to individual aspects or combinations of elements orsteps are intended to be supported by the present disclosure.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A method of controlling the flow of a fluidin a pipe system comprising: controlling a sleeve valve in the pipesystem, the sleeve valve including a valve body having an inner surfaceand an outer surface, the inner surface and the outer surface definingan inlet, an outlet, and a body cavity between the inlet and the outlet;a sleeve disposed at least partially within the body cavity, the sleeveincluding at least one opening fluidly connecting the inlet to theoutlet; a gate proximate to the sleeve, the gate including a front stopand a back stop; and a drive assembly including a pair of drive lines,each drive line including a drive shaft, a first drive line of the pairof drive lines including a sync cam on the drive shaft of the firstdrive line, the sync cam of first drive line movably positioned betweenthe front stop and the back stop, a first gap defined between the frontstop and the sync cam, a second gap defined between the back stop andthe sync cam; moving the sync cam to a front stop position, wherein thefront stop position reduces the first gap; and moving the gate touncover the at least one opening to allow fluid to flow from the inletto the outlet.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising partiallyobstructing the at least one opening with the gate to partially reduce aflow rate of fluid from the inlet to the outlet.
 3. The method of claim1, wherein each drive line of the pair of drive lines is connected to anactuator motor, the method further comprising turning the drive shaft ofeach drive line at equal speeds.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein: thefront stop is a first front stop, the back stop is a first back stop,and the sync cam is a first sync cam; and the sleeve valve furtherincludes a second drive line of the pair of drive lines, the seconddrive line including a second sync cam, the second sync cam movablypositioned on the drive shaft of the second drive line and between asecond back stop and a second front stop, a third gap defined betweenthe second front stop and the second sync cam, and a fourth gap definedbetween the second back stop and the second sync cam.
 5. The method ofclaim 4, wherein the front stop position is a first front stop position,the method further comprising moving the second sync cam to a secondfront stop position, wherein the second front stop position reduces thethird gap.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first sync cam contactsthe first front stop at the first front stop position.
 7. The method ofclaim 6, wherein the second sync cam contacts the second front stop atthe second front stop position simultaneously with the first sync camcontacting the first front stop at the first front stop position.
 8. Themethod of claim 6, further comprising syncing the first sync cam and thesecond sync cam if the second sync cam does not contact the second frontstop at the second front stop position simultaneously with the firstsync cam contacting the first front stop, wherein syncing causes thefirst sync cam to contact the first front stop at the first front stopposition simultaneously with the second sync cam contacting the secondfront stop at the second front stop position.
 9. The method of claim 8,wherein the second sync cam further comprises at least one frontdirection load balancing screw and wherein syncing the first sync camand the second sync cam comprises adjusting the at least one frontdirection load balancing screw to cause the second sync cam to contactthe second front stop at the second front stop position simultaneouslywith the first sync cam contacting the first front stop at the firstfront stop position.
 10. The method of claim 4, further comprisingmoving the first sync cam to a first back stop position, wherein thefirst back stop position reduces the second gap; and moving the gate tocover the at least one opening to reduce fluid from flowing from theinlet to the outlet.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprisingmoving the second sync cam to a second back stop position, wherein thesecond back stop position reduces the fourth gap, and wherein the firstsync cam contacts the first back stop at the first back stop position.12. A method of controlling the flow of a fluid in a pipe systemcomprising: controlling a sleeve valve in the pipe system, the sleevevalve including a valve body having an inner surface and an outersurface, the inner surface and the outer surface defining an inlet, anoutlet, and a body cavity between the inlet and the outlet; a sleevedisposed at least partially within the body cavity, the sleeve includingat least one opening fluidly connecting the inlet to the outlet; a gateproximate to the sleeve, the gate including a front stop and a backstop; and a drive assembly including a pair of drive lines, each driveline including a drive shaft, a first drive line of the pair of drivelines including a sync cam on the drive shaft of the first drive line,the sync cam of first drive line movably positioned between the frontstop and the back stop, a first gap defined between the front stop andthe sync cam, a second gap defined between the back stop and the synccam; moving the sync cam to a back stop position, wherein the back stopposition reduces the second gap; and moving the gate to cover at leastone opening to reduce fluid from flowing from the inlet to the outlet.13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one opening comprises aplurality of openings, the method further comprising uncovering some ofthe plurality of openings with the gate to partially increase a flowrate of fluid from the inlet to the outlet.
 14. The method of claim 12,wherein each drive line of the pair of drive lines is connected to anactuator motor, the method further comprising turning the drive shaft ofeach drive line at equal speeds.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein:the front stop is a first front stop, the back stop is a first backstop, and the sync cam is a first sync cam; and the sleeve valve furtherincludes a second drive line of the pair of drive lines, the seconddrive line including a second sync cam, the second sync cam movablypositioned on the drive shaft of the second drive line and between asecond back stop and a second front stop, a third gap defined betweenthe second front stop and the second sync cam, and a fourth gap definedbetween the second back stop and the second sync cam.
 16. The method ofclaim 15, wherein the back stop position is a first back stop position,the method further comprising moving the second sync cam to a secondback stop position, wherein the second back stop position reduces thefourth gap.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first sync camcontacts the first back stop at the first back stop position.
 18. Themethod of claim 17, wherein the second sync cam contacts the second backstop at the second back stop position simultaneously with the first synccam contacting the first back stop at the first back stop position. 19.The method of claim 17, further comprising syncing the first sync camand the second sync cam if the second sync cam does not contact thesecond back stop at the second back stop position simultaneously withthe first sync cam contacting the first back stop, wherein syncingcauses the first sync cam to contact the first back stop at the firstback stop position simultaneously with the second sync cam contactingthe second back stop at the second back stop position.
 20. The method ofclaim 19, wherein the second back stop further comprises at least onebackward direction load balancing screw and wherein syncing the firstsync cam and the second sync cam comprises adjusting the at least onebackward direction load balancing screw to contact the second sync camat the second back stop position simultaneously with the first sync camcontacting the first back stop at the first back stop position.